Featured Guest, Author at Raising World Children

Heritage language or Mother Tongue?

Heritage language or Mother Tongue? Which do you carry forward? Every year on February 21st, the world celebrates “International Mother Tongue Day”. For those of us in the South Asian diaspora, raising kids outside of India, what does this mean?

I’ll start by telling you my story. My parents came to NY from Kerala back in the 70s. They were part of a vibrant Malayali community in NY, but eventually they moved to South Florida when I was in preschool. My parents sought out and helped to establish the Malayali community there, but it was not the same as living in NY – where you are surrounded by so many of your people that you can have a completely insular upbringing. Going from churches to social events to even the grocery store – you could speak and hear Malayalam spoken all day. In Miami? I heard more Spanish than I heard English, let alone Malayalam.

My language story is the same as many immigrant children. Here is the common lament of an immigrant parent, reflecting on their child’s inability to speak their language:

“She spoke so well until she was 5.”
“After she started school, she only wanted to speak English.”
“The school discouraged us from speaking our language at home.”
“I was afraid it would confuse her. I thought it would affect her ability to speak English without an accent.”
“I don’t know how to teach her. She doesn’t seem to understand me. It came much easier to me when I was growing up.”
“There are no classes or proper books.”
“What’s the point? She’s not going to use it anyway.”

Does this sound familiar to you? Are you facing this situation with your child now?

Don’t give up. The truth is – language is inextricably woven with identity. To lose your language, is to lose a piece of your connection to your homeland and your family. To better understand why this happens, it’s important to draw a distinction between 2 key terms: “mother tongue” and “heritage language”. What do they have in common? What’s the difference?

Both terms refer to the language we were first exposed to as babies. But they have different outcomes. A mother tongue is easy to recall and may be practiced on a consistent basis with friends, family and the community. A heritage language on the other hand, is a language “inherited” from one’s family, but is lost as a child ages. It is literally crowded out by the dominant language of the environment. In almost all cases, that language is English.

Parents raising kids outside of India need to recognize them as “third culture kids” (TCK). Their identities are a mix of their Desi heritage, their religious upbringing, their race, but also undeniably, a different nationality – be it American, British, Australian, etc. Our goal should be to help them navigate this intersectionality, recognizing there is strength in embracing it all. Raising them with our food, dress, customs, and holidays, can strengthen their identification with “being Desi”. Language is no exception, when it comes to identifying as Desi.

Studies show that,“the most commonly observed pattern among the U.S. immigrant population is the language shift phenomenon.” This means that as families settle in the US, and children grow up, marry and start their own families, the ability to speak the heritage language diminishes. In fact, “A consistent finding in the field of sociology of language is that heritage languages are lost by the third generation of immigrants.” That means if the grandparents came from India, it is very likely that the grandchildren will not speak the heritage language. Furthermore, “Such a shift was even more rapid among Asian-Americans as compared to Latino-Americans across generations.”*^[1]

Why do you think heritage language loss is so prevalent in our South Asian community? Logically – we are far away from our homeland, we lack resources, these languages are very different from English, as well as the fact being a native speaker is not a qualification in itself for being a good teacher. But that doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. It is beyond logic and eludes most language teachers and parents – as it has to do with the heart.

“Heritage language is not just academic…it’s psychological, rooted in shame and longing.”

As language is tied to identity, if a child is unsure of who they are, ashamed of being Desi or even afraid to try to speak the language – we can’t expect them to be successful, least of all become fluent. Kids can feel a greater degree of perfectionism and the fear of failure is more acute. It’s not as simple as failing an exam. It means you fail at being Indian, that you let your family down. For TCK to have a chance, they have to want to learn. They have to accept that this language is not wrong, bad or “other” – that multilingualism is normal.

Think of the slew of microaggressions (negative messages)*^[2] a TCK may experience daily at school:

Amma is not a word – we say Mommy in this country.
Your skin is so dark, like the color of poop!
OMG your dad has an accent!
Your name is Arjun? Wait…can I just call you AJ?
What kind of Indian are you? Feathers or forehead dot?

Or from home:

You’re not Indian enough.
LOL you have a terrible accent when you speak [insert HL here]
It was so easy for me to learn when I was a kid. What’s wrong with you?
Don’t you know the difference between “pali” and “palli” in Malayalam? You’re hopeless!
If you can’t learn the alphabet, then I can’t teach you

It’s not something we do often in our culture, but we need to talk about feelings. From a young age (even younger than you think) our kids will need help processing these questions and the feelings they create. Before we judge them for resisting our language, why not explore what is making them uncomfortable? Could they have received criticism or have been mocked by a relative for speaking incorrectly? Did someone at school make fun of them for their [insert language, food, dress, culture, skin color] ? Do they just want to blend in and be like everyone else?

Imagine your kids being able to connect with your family back in India. Can they ask Patti “How are you” in Tamil? Can they enjoy playing with their cousins and pick up the slang? Do they understand the priest during a pooja or the preacher in a bilingual sermon?

It is possible. There are so many more resources available today than my generation had growing up in the 80s and 90s. There are initiatives cropping up around the globe everyday with the vision of growing multicultural and multilingual South Asian kids. Take advantage of the resources out there, ask for help, and if it doesn’t exist – maybe you can help create it! Expect your kids to resist at times, but keep the big picture in mind. Learning their language will help them find themselves.

How did my language story turn out? I just finished my first formal course in Malayalam and I can already start sharing this knowledge with my kids. They were shocked that even Amma had to study and do HW. I did better than a novice, but I still made a lot of mistakes and constantly mispronounced words, but … I absolutely loved it. It has fulfilled a part of me that I didn’t know was missing.

Anita K. Sachariah Srinivasan is the Founder of BhashaKids, a startup that aims to create bilingual learning materials for kids learning South Asian languages. A public speaker, facilitator, mompreneur and Learning Coach, Anita started BhashaKids in 2019 to help other South Asian diaspora families connect their kids with their heritage languages and culture. Frustrated by not being able to find quality learning products to help her kids learn their heritage languages, she set out to create them herself. Her work includes creating bilingual and inclusive learning materials for kids, coaching parents, coaching language teachers, working with language schools to develop their curriculum, as well as supporting authors of underrepresented children’s books, including bilingual books. Raised in the US by South Indian parents, Anita speaks English, French, and some Spanish. She is (re)learning Malayalam, her heritage language. Raising a multilingual and a multicultural family, you can hear Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, and Spanish (besides English, of course) spoken in her home. –> Social Media: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: @bhashakids

^[1] Cho, Grace. “Perspectives vs Reality of Heritage Language Development”, Multicultural Education Journal: Winter 2015.

^[2] These are all anecdotal statements I’ve heard said in classrooms, to my kids and even myself.

4 Signs Home School Will Work for Your Family

Making the decision to home school your children reaps many rewards, but it also comes with some sacrifice. Because of this, wise families always think about whether or not home schooling will work for their family, before committing to such an endeavor. If you’re in the process of deciding whether or not to home school your kids, then you might want to keep the following four points in mind when you’re making your final decision.

You’re Already Disciplined

Committing to home schooling your children means that you must be disciplined enough to work with them each day, whether you feel like it or not. If you already have a family routine that includes kid-based activities, like regular homework times, soccer, and other activities (and you do them like clockwork), then home schooling will probably work for your family.

The Pandemic Showed You Home Schooling’s Benefits

Maybe you never thought about home schooling your kids but now that you’ve been forced to teach them at home, you find you prefer this style of education better. You have developed a daily rhythm to help them and you keep up with their lessons and school activities. You may have also found that you like the offerings of independent home schooling curriculum companies like CLASS Home schools better than you do the curriculum that your child’s “real” school has. This gives you more control over what your children are learning, which is a bonus, too.

Your Child Flourishes in Home Schooling

Some kids just do better when they’re home schooled. They don’t face the same peer pressure. They learn at a pace that’s good for them and not the whole class. They get more individualized attention at home than they do at school. If all of these things appeal to you, then this is a definite sign that home schooling could be a better option for your family.

You Like the Freedom It Offers

Home schooling provides your family with a lot of freedom. According to Crosswalk, the day is shorter for home schooled kids, which means that they have more time to play, explore, and spend time with family.

It also means that the whole family exists on the family’s schedule instead of on the local school’s schedule. This expands a family’s ability to work when and where they want, to vacation at their leisure, and to experience life at a pace that feels good to them. If this resonates with you, home schooling will likely work for you.

Before you start home schooling your kids, you need to ensure that it will work for your family before you commit to this path. If you’ve read the previous four points and find that you resonate with them, then that’s a good indication that home schooling just might work for your family.

Book Review – Isaiah and the Chocolate Mountain

We all dream of getting our favorite things on our birthdays. And sometimes, the disappointment of not getting exactly what we want can make us feel big emotions like anger, hurt, and more.

The same thing happens to our friend Isaiah.

He has a wonderful birthday celebration. But ends up getting the thing he hates the most, chocolate. This story is a great resource for helping children understand how to handle themselves in a social setting and build social emotional skills they can use in their daily lives.

An ideal read for those looking to move from picture books to chapter books, this is a must have in every classroom be it home, school or home school. I specially liked how Isaiah finds his way to handling his big emotions through an adventure that he takes through something that he does not like. Often it takes us experiencing something we don’t like, to appreciate the importance of it.

This would make an interesting read for children 7-11 years of age.

The activates in the back are a great addition to the conversations this book is bound to create.

From the Amazon book page:

Educators endorse Isaiah and the Chocolate Mountain. “Wow, what a wonderful book! “As a child psychologist, I wholeheartedly endorse Isaiah and the Chocolate Mountain as a great read that addresses a multitude of child-rearing issues ranging from listening and knowing the child, to being responsive to the needs of his/her character. The fact that Isaiah is a child of color gives the book an added dimension since racially ethnic children’s books are in short supply. “Most who work with young children agree, anytime we can produce positive reflections of children, it takes them a step higher in self-esteem. Aside from the serious and psychological aspects of the book, there is pure delight and whimsy in this tale that I am sure every little boy would enjoy. “I wholeheartedly recommend Isaiah and the Chocolate Mountain be added to the collection of great reading materials in children’s libraries and preschools nation-wide.” –Fran Williams Ed. D.

Click on Image to Buy

Raising World Children’s Book Catalog Below & Other Book Lists to Find Diverse Books

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Multicultural Children’s Book Day – Celebrating Representation a Book at a Time

The solace of looking a character you relate to. The pride of seeing your beliefs, culture, and traditions embraced on the pages. The joy of seeing a person going through the problems so many face daily and yet no one talks about.

That is what representation is all about.

Multicultural books share something unique—whether opening our eyes to a life vastly different than ours, enforcing a lesson previously beyond our perception, or unearthing our roots as individuals, society, and humanity as a whole. Too often misrepresentation and a lack of diversity in media negatively impacts marginalized communities, including racial, ethnic, and religious minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled people, and women. This issue is prevalent and important, and the Multicultural Childrens’ Book Day Event seeks to solve this problem as diverse books in the past decade have rapidly evolved into a widespread medium for raising representation, specially with the rise of indie published books.

Reading books with accurate representations of students’ own cultures can contribute to self-worth within students, while allowing them to connect with themselves and their culture on a deeper level. Diverse representations of characters in multi-cultural books are beneficial to all readers. In the classroom, students have a strong urge to feel seen, heard, and represented. … It’s often said that books should serve as mirrors and window for students. Mirrors so they can see themselves and feel validated, represented, heard, seen; windows so they can learn about others and their experiences and build empathy. This helps prevent bullying as children learn to accept that which is different from them and others learn to accep their own culture as not “different” but unique.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCBD) is an online and offline celebration that attracts thousands of supporters, educators, parents, caregivers, book reviewers, and quality authors and publishers who join forces to shine the spotlight on diversity in children’s and YA literature. Celebrated annually on the last Friday in January, this global non-profit offers a plethora of free resources, teaching tools, booklists, downloads, and a year-around initiative to get multicultural and diverse books into the hands of young readers. To date, 10,000 books have been donated to underserved kids, classrooms, and organizations, and that number continues to climb. Multicultural Children’s Book Day was founded by bloggers/authors Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen who volunteer their time to run this event. Valarie is the daughter of Swedish immigrants and the first to attend college in her family. She speaks five languages including Arabic which is the language they speak at home. Mia is half Japanese and half Chinese American and married to a Korean American.

Criteria for Promoting “Multicultural” or “Diverse” Children’s Books

Books that contain characters of color as well as main characters that represent a minority point of view.
Books written by an author of diversity or color from their perspective. Search #ownvoices to discover diverse books written by diverse authors.
Books that share ideas, stories, and information about cultures, race, religion, language, and traditions. These books can be non-fiction but still written in a way that kids will find entertaining and informative.
Books that embrace special needs or even “hidden disabilities” like ADHD, ADD, and anxiety.
Books that show IBPOC readers what is POSSIBLE–like a book that shows an Asian child as an astronaut 👩‍🚀, a child from Sudan as an actress, or a biracial child as a world leader.

Every year, MCBD also creates a free classroom kit for parents/teachers to use for their homeschool/classroom libraries and more to empower the children in their care.

So, how can YOU as a parent or teacher celebrate REPRESENTATION within books ?

Go out of your comfort zone or interest

Often we look for books that talk about problems we face or that looks like our families. This year, we encourage you to consciously pick up books that are not something you would usually bend towards.

The mission of MCBD is to raise awareness about diverse children’s books and get more of these books into classrooms and libraries. When you’re selecting your next set of books, seek out ones that challenge stereotypes by featuring positive and realistic multicultural characters who empower role models to young readers. Look for books with storylines that have universal appeal, so every child will be enthusiastic about reading.

Want to get free diverse children’s books for your classroom or library? MCBD wants to help build libraries with diverse, inclusive, and multicultural books. Sign up on their Diverse Books for Classrooms Program page.

Share about unique books you have enjoyed

Take that growing collection of multicultural children’s books, and get them out into the world! Parents can start a book-sharing group and pass on their favorite multicultural children’s books, so more families are able to benefit from them. Teachers choose diverse books to read aloud to students. If they are learning virtually this year due to COVID-19, include diverse books in take-home packets.

Review diverse books on platforms of your choosing

Often parents find a unique book that they absolutely adore. Head over online and review the book on Amazon, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, Target etc to let the world know this book is valuable.

Have the hard conversations with the children in your care

Reading diverse books is not enough. You need to make sure you talk about the book after. Here is a list of questions and conversations you can have with your children after each book read.

Through each multicultural book a child reads, it creates a new level of understanding and empathy. When we can see through the eyes of another, when we can share a loved book with a friend regardless of religion, culture, race etc., we create a sense of belonging not only in our classrooms and homes but more importantly in our communities. The world outside our window becomes ours to shape and create.

This year, as with every year, we are striving more persistently than ever to place books into children’s hands as possible. Our unwavering mission is to share our love of reading from a multicultural perspective while also sharing the storytelling talents of authors and publishers alike.

Show Your Support of MCBD

Spread the world about MCBD and its mission by posting on social media. Use #ReadYourWorld and tell everyone why multicultural children’s books are important to you. Join the MCBD Twitter party on January 28, 2022, 9-10pm EST, to discuss issues surrounding multicultural books and diversity in publishing with educators, authors, and parents.

You can also participate in MCBD’s eBook fundraiser, where 100% of the proceeds are used for gifting multicultural books to classroom libraries.

In addition, MCBD offers a gallery of free posters to print and display in your classroom or home.

Comment below and tell us about your favorite multicultural children’s books and how you’re celebrating Multicultural Children’s Book Day this year. Or, post on social media using #ReadYourWorld to spread the word!

Indo-American POV Multicultural Books That Empower with
Mindfulness, Science, Social Skills and Culture

Click on image to check out the books.

Diverse Booklists by RaisingWorldChildren.com here.

Must Read Diverse Books For Kids Ages 3 to 8

Do you want diverse books kids for ages 3 to 8? Diversity is already a hot topic in today’s world. However, children might be confused about their own identities, or that of others.

The good news is, you can talk to your children about how great diversity is. And, what better way to teaching children about the importance of diversity than with engaging children’s books! Many children’s books talk about things like difference, empathy, inclusivity, and so on – perfect for teaching about diversity.

Need ideas on what children’s books to read about diversity?

Here are 7 diverse books that you can read to your children today!

Here is the list of diverse books kids ages 3 8 !

Everybody Cooks Rice (Norah Dooley)

“Norah Dooley offers a multicultural take on a well-known food product – rice,” says Amanda Whittaker, a book blogger at UKWritings and Studydemic. “In Everybody Cooks Rice, a girl named Carrie discovers the types of foods that people eat at their dinner tables. As she canvases each of the different ethnic heritages, she sees that people cook and eat rice. This goes to show that food and eating – and even rice – are universal things, rather than something exclusive to certain groups of people.”

Families, Families, Families! (Suzanne And Max Lang)

Diversity also comes from families, which is the central theme for Suzanne and Max Lang’s Families, Families, Families! This book, with its rhyming schemes and charm, shows preschoolers how families can come in not only all shapes and sizes, but also in many combinations. A charming rhyming book that shows many different combinations of families. This overall shows readers how to appreciate how families can be different and still be loving towards one another.

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina (Monica Brown)

Biracial relations are one of the hot topics, when it comes to diversity. That’s where Monica Brown’s children’s book comes in!

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match/Marisol McDonald No Combina tells a story of a girl named Marisol McDonald, a Peruvian-Scottish-American with red hair and brown skin. Marisol is often ridiculed for not “matching.” But regardless of the criticism from the people around her, she still sees herself as already perfect as is. Most notable, this book is bilingual with both English and Spanish text, along with wonderful illustrations that show off Marisol’s creative mismatches.

Say Hello! (Rachel Isadora)

There are many ways to say “hello” to someone. Rachel Isadora knows a lot about that!

In her children’s book, Say Hello!, children can celebrate diversity by learning the different ways to say “hello.” The main character Carmelita loves to greet everyone in her neighborhood as she walks her dog, Manny. It’s during these walks that she learns how to say “hello” in different languages.

The Colors Of Us (Karen Katz)

Another children’s books about diversity, The Colors of Us tells a story about a girl named Lena who wants to paint a self-portrait. She plans to use brown paint for her skin; but then, she discovers that there are many different shades of brown skin. When she sees this, she comes to appreciate her world in a different way.

The Skin We Live In (Michael Tyler)

“The Skin We Live In is a definitive children’s book about diversity,” says Christine Samuels, an educator at Via Writing and Top essay writing services. “Based on the theme of race, The Skin We Live In shows how everyone is different in skin color. There are many skin colors, including ‘cookie dough rolled’ and ‘butterscotch gold.’ The book comes with illustrations that are charming for all readers, not just children. The overall message is that it’s okay to be different, especially when it comes to race.”

We’re Different, We’re The Same (Sesame Street/Bobbie Kates)

Finally, who wouldn’t want to read a book about diversity… courtesy of the longest-running children’s show?

In We’re Different, We’re The Same, the classic Sesame Street classic show how diverse the world is, especially when it comes to children all over the world. No wonder Sesame Street is said to be the longest street in the world! The overall message of the book is that while everyone may look different from each other, they ultimately have plenty in common, thus establishing a diverse world.

Conclusion

Ultimately, talking about diversity starts with the family. With diversity and inclusion at the forefront of today’s discussions, it’s important to show your children how special they are from the inside out. As you read these 7 books to your children, you can get the ball rolling, and answer any questions that they might have.

We hope that you’ll consider reading these select children’s books today!

Emily Henry is a writer and editor at Assignment Services and Top Writing Service. She is also a contributing writer for Academized Review. As a content writer, she writes articles about literature, education, and child health.

SHOP OUR DIVERSE CATALOG FOR MULTICULTURAL FAMILIES

There is No Best Time to Bloom

Here you see two people. One who started excelling in studies after high school. Another who was a topper all through school. Both engineers. One loves coding and works in IT. The other loves writing and is a freelancer providing DFY services to authors.

This season, as I take my walks, I have seen all the trees blooming at different times. The ones that changed colors early gave me as much joy as the ones that now vibrant with colors.

The leaves of all the trees once colored, fall to the floor and the cycle begins anew.

Then why do we expect more of our children? Pushing them to bloom earlier and earlier? I see kids and parents in the rat race of life, running! Creating a panic.

I am a parent myself and I feel it. I wonder WHY is everyone running? What are they running towards? Should I run and make my kids run to? Will we get something early at the end of it?

The pressure is enough to break ME, and I worry for the life my children have ahead of them.

And then I remember that the topper in school (me) mostly used to sit in her bed studying all night. It is better to just enjoy the scenery and take things as they come. Allowing our family and my children the time to bloom and enjoy the moments we have together.

If you have been with me a while, you know I believe in balance.

We have one life to live

, so do our children. We all will eventually bloom. Shouldn’t we take our time to do so we can be as vibrant and vivid as we were meant to be?

So, if you are a parent feeling the pressure of pushing your kids to BE something MORE, remember they are already someone today. They will bloom into something different soon. Enjoy who they are NOW! For this moment in time will NEVER come back.

Let’s Try Harder to Get Names Right

For those who are interested, My name while spelt A-di-ti… is sounded out at A-thee-ti (where the t sounds touches the roof of the mouth)

Hindi the , “the” and “t” sounds do not exist in English which make phonetic translations and sounding things out difficult, I understand.

Why do I mention this today, after a life time of people calling me different names? Atheethee, atithee, adviti, adt etc

1. It didn’t used to bother me at all, but of recent I have seen people WANTING to make an effort to learn how to say names. AND I have often felt like I should oblige by making it easier on them say I would say “ADT, like the security system”. I have realized in the past few days that I am in the wrong by doing that. When someone wants to make the effort, I should educate them to the best of my own knowledge as well.

2. While editing a few Hindi-English books and working on my own Hindi English resources (releasing next year), I realized that if we are raising kids to be more aware and accepting, we have to LET them and our friends be willing to make the effort in learning.

3. Also, when naming both my kids I THOUGHT I picked names that would be easier for them in this multicultural world but I don’t see that happening coz Aarav is often called aRAAV and Sharvi is often called SHAARvi … Plus a few friends face the same with their kids.

4. My kids’ school started doing squads like Harry Potter and in the name of being diverse they have a squad called Mitra. Which means friends in Hindi. Which is actually great coz my kids love having the tie to Indianness in their school. But they say Mi-tra and NOT Mitr with the t touching their mouth roof tops which is grating to the ears to me personally. When my daughter tries to tell teachers, they say, “oh! We can’t possibly get that right!”

And while all this is perfectly OKAY, it has a direct impact on my own personal efforts in teaching my kids Hindi as they also feel, “They can’t get it right!”

Learning is not easy. Evolving is NOT easy. Building acceptance, diversity and personal growth is uncomfortable work. And that is okay too. For all of us.

sparkling me childrens books — Let’s Try Harder to Say Names Right

Gift Ideas for Your Grandparents – Near or Far Away

Gift-giving can be a puzzling endeavor, particularly for those you know well. Over the years, you may have given any number of presents, and sometimes, you may feel like you’ve run out of ideas. Deciding on a gift for your grandparents can be challenging, but there are a number of ideas that are generally appreciated by grandparents everywhere.

Dinner Gift Certificates

Maybe there’s a restaurant in your grandparents’ vicinity that would be a treat for an enjoyable meal. Or maybe they have a favorite restaurant that they visit every time they have the chance. Many restaurants, offering a wide variety of foods, offer gift certificates that would be a wonderful gift for grandparents.

A Trip Away

Sometimes, adult children get together to pool their money to pay for a vacation for their grandparents. But even if you’re paying for it on your own, you can still provide a relaxing weekend away at a luxurious resort where they can enjoy dinner, golfing, indoor swimming, a spa experience, or shopping at local venues. This can be a wonderful way to provide an enjoyable experience for loved ones.

Framed Special Pictures

A special family photo, set into an attractive frame, makes the perfect gift for grandparents. Photos of good times past, big moments, and pictures of their kids in childhood conjure fond memories and bring years of enjoyment. Custom framing that suits your grandparents’ decor can make it a beautiful and appreciated gift. A great thing about custom framing vs pre-built frames is that you can select the frame design to fit their style and it can be any size you want. This enables you to fit the photo on the wall, no matter the size of the space.

Hobby Items

Your grandparents’ hobbies are a good area to tap for gift items. A knitter might enjoy a gift of beautiful yarns in a variety of colors or some new patterns. A golfer might enjoy a special putter to try. Books are always the right choice for avid readers. With a little research, you can find a broad range of gifts for scrapbookers, stamp-collectors, auto tinkerers, and any other type of hobby.

Theater, Concert, or Movie Tickets

Everyone enjoys an evening out at a concert, theater production, or even a newly released movie. Your local venues offer gift certificates for these events that make good gifts for grandparents and others that are difficult to choose gifts for. You can go as expensive or inexpensive as you like, to find the perfect evening out for your grandparents.

Some grandparents are easy to buy gifts for. Others have less specific tastes. Sometimes, finding the right gift is a question of knowing your grandparents’ personalities. Other times, it’s choosing something fresh and surprising. If you give it a bit of thought and research on the internet a bit, you can find a gift that your grandparent or grandparents will truly appreciate.

Hopefully, these gift ideas will help you find the PERFECT gift for your grandparents – near or far away.

Why It’s Important to Start Building Credit at a Young Age

Raising your kids will involve many challenges along the way. On any given day, it might seem
exhausting just meeting even half of their current needs. Looking ahead to their future needs
might seem intimidating, but there are a few things that you can do to make sure their future is
safe and secure. If you can help them start building credit at a young age, they’ll benefit later.

Credit History Matters

The length of someone’s credit history is a major factor in determining their overall score. The
longer someone’s credit history is, the better their rating should be. If you can get the younger
members of your family started off before they are financially independent, then their credit
scores will start off stronger once they are out on their own.

Money Management Lessons

Developing a good credit history is one thing, but maintaining it is another. While your kid might
not have bills or even income while still living at home, they need to learn how to manage
money well. Earning a good credit rating or score is great, but protecting it is even better. You
can use this to not only teach them how to save money and handle bills. In the end, it’s all for
their benefit.

Learning About The Financial World

The financial world is a complicated place, from credit cards to cryptocurrency, it can all be so
confusing for someone who’s new. Helping your child join a bank or credit union is a chance to
help them learn about financial institutions and their products and services long before they
attain adulthood and would find out the hard way.

Early Adult Life Is Ideal

Having a good credit score impacts a lot more than just getting approved for loans. Early in their
adult years, your child might get better car insurance rates based on having a better credit score
than others their age. Credit checks are also increasingly common for many employment
positions, so a good rating might open up pay check possibilities for someone with no
experience.

Key Takeaways

Getting your children to start building credit from a young age has many benefits for them down
the road:
● Longer credit history means higher scores.
● They learn how to manage money years before they will actually rely on it.
● You can teach them about different financial institutions and accounts.
● Their early adult life will start off on better financial footing.

In conclusion, it’s ideal to start planning for your child’s future, and this is the perfect choice to start with. So why wait?

Unique and Mindful Gift Ideas for Children this Holiday Season

You may have a family tradition of exchanging gifts during holidays or special occasions. We all want to make sure we give a mindful gift to our children and loved ones during the holiday season.

Regardless of the holiday, the concept of gift purchasing never gets easier. For some people, it
even gets stressful trying to find the perfect gift for your loved one. There is nothing that cheers
children up like the thought of receiving gifts from their parents. Therefore, you might want to get
your children skills that resonate with what they love. Purchasing gifts for children is especially
difficult, especially when you have no idea what your children need. However, you can have an
insight into the right holiday gifts to buy for them when you go through this article.

1. Jewelry

Jewelry is among the presents that kids love, and as such, you can never go wrong by
purchasing one. However, since the jewelry recipient is your child, you may need to be careful
with your choice since losing it may be possible. You may consider buying different kinds of
jewelry for your children, including necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and watches. You may even
decide to personalize the jewelry for your child to feel like you made an effort to get the perfect
gift. In jewelry personalization, you may need to consider going for jewelry made from photos.
You can achieve this by incorporating the images in a necklace or even a bracelet. Your child
may value this jewelry more since it will be part of a precious memory as they grow.

2. Books

Books may be the last thing on your mind, when it comes to gift purchases for your child.
However, books are the perfect gifts since they help your children develop their cognitive skills
from the onset. Besides, your child also improves communication skills as they learn how to
order their words from the books. There are several children’s books that you may consider
buying. Purchasing a personalized children’s book may be an even better idea. In this book, you
may decide to make your child the star of the book. Your child will not only consider this gift to
be fun but also unique.

3. An Instrument

Has your child shown an interest in music? It is a great hobby for any child to have because it
teaches motor skills, dedication, listening skills, and many other useful habits that they should
start developing at a young age. Entry-level instruments can be very affordable, depending on
what they show an interest in. A children’s guitar or a piano can be under $100. You can include
lessons with the instrument or buy them a manual/book to learn from. There is also an
abundance of free resources online for them to utilize. If they show a continued interest over the
year, look into getting a nicer instrument and potentially lessons to hone their ability. This is a
great investment and provides life-long skills.

4. Shoes

Most kids are obsessed with shoes. For this reason, they will constantly be asking you for your
credit card to purchase new sneakers or a pair of heels at the mall. When there is a new
sneakers edition that your kid has been eyeing, it may be the perfect gift to buy them. Getting
your child such a gift may improve their holiday spirit. You may also consider buying your child
personalized shoes. Nowadays, you can purchase dull sneakers and consider having them
printed with creative designs. You may also consider involving your child in the purchase of the
new shoes. Most of the time, when you set out to buy shoes alone, you may acknowledge those
which your child has no interest in or the wrong shoe size. It would be best to have your child
accompany you to the shoe store to get it right the first time.

5. Meaningful/thoughtful actions for stocking stuffers

Maybe money is tight this year with your family. There are still ways to provide meaningful gifts
for your kids without spending much money. Quality time is the best gift you can give to your
family. It can be difficult to make enough time during the year, between work and other
commitments you may have. A great gift can be planning a low-cost family trip somewhere. You
could go to the beach or a lake, hiking, camping, or to a local museum if your family is into
history or art. It’s the time together that matters, not the destination.

Think about your children’s interests before choosing stocking stuffers. Are they artistic? You
can get them art supplies if that is the case. Are they into science? You can get a kit or create
one for a scientific experiment. It’s important to support their interests and realize that as they
grow some interests might disappear or change. The more they can try at a young age, the
better.

Finally, printing pictures of your kids or your whole family together is a great stocking stuffer.
You can put it in a frame or create a collage/crafted photo book if you enjoy crafting. There are
many non-toy and affordable options for stocking stuffers.

Conclusion

Buying your children gifts can be quite daunting. However, you may not want to see your child
register a disappointed look when they unwrap their gift during the holidays. Therefore, it would
be wise to research what your kid loves and hopes to one day get. When the facility is practical
and cost-effective, it will not hurt to purchase it for your child. Besides, it should be your joy to
see your child happy, especially during the holidays.

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How to Teach Your Kids to Be Independent Self-Starters

All parents want what’s best for their kids. No matter how many parenting books you read, though, it might feel impossible to determine if you’re giving too much guidance or too little. Too far in either direction has the potential to diminish a child’s sense of independence and ability to self-motivate. These are some general rules that any parent can live by to ensure their child’s future is bright and promising.

It’s the Effort That Counts

It’s often tempting to focus on results rather than the work that went into them in this output-driven world. As a parent, it’s your job to pay attention to how hard your child is working, regardless of whether they succeed or fail.

Stick to a Schedule

Children are already going through enough with the growing pains of physical and mental development. It’s all the more important for them to be eating and sleeping at regular times. In a chaotic world, this regularity makes at least those simple things certain.

Play Is Important

An overworked lifestyle is all too common in the modern professional world. If a child isn’t encouraged to dive into fun recreational and extracurricular activities, they’re sure to lose the passion for work done in the classroom. Hard work pairs best with hard play, providing kids a place to explore feelings and roles outside of their regular daily life.

Let Them Make Their Own Mistakes

Although it’s hard for any parent to do, you have to let your kids stumble and even fall sometimes. When a misstep can become a teachable experience, it’s probably in your child’s best interest to let them work it out on their own. It may be hard, but shielding your child from all negative experiences will only make it harder when they’re faced with adult-sized consequences later on in life.

Praise Specific Things

It’s easy to tell your child that they did a good job at something, but sometimes praise has to go deeper than that in order to be effective. It can be as simple as noticing that she or he got an excellent grade in a subject they were struggling with, or it can be complimenting specific qualities of a project they completed.

Focus on Schooling

Many young independent self-starters attend private schools, like the Delphian School. These types of schools can give your children even more responsibility, which teaches them to be a self-starter and will help them in their lives down the road.

Having the skill to be a self-starter pays off in education and careers. Use the above tips to help your children develop this valuable skill while they are young.

Portrait of caring young father and baby boy enjoying car transportation with child seat

Road Trips with your Babies : Tips To Help Things Go Smoothly

When your baby arrived, it was without a doubt one of the happiest times of your life. But while you’ve been busy getting adjusted to having your new little family member around the house, you may have given little thought to what will transpire once it’s time for your baby’s first road trip. To make sure things go smoothly, here are a few things you can do prior to hitting the road.

Pack the Night Before

Before the big day arrives, make it a point to pack your car the night before your trip. Along with your stuff, always pack plenty of diapers, baby wipes, and other supplies you’ll need during the trip. By doing so, you won’t have to waste time during the morning trying to hurry around and get everything in its proper place, which can set the stage for your baby to be cranky during the excursion.

Have a Smooth Ride

Since this will be your baby’s first road trip, the last thing you want is for your car to have mechanical issues once you are on the highway. To avoid this scenario, get your car checked over by your mechanic prior to your trip. One of the best things you can do is get a new set of Nissan tires for your vehicle since new tires will give you a smooth and safe ride as you and your baby cruise down the highway together.

Build-in Time for Breaks

If your road trip will be somewhat long, you should definitely plan some time to take some rest breaks along the way. While giving you a chance to stretch your legs, it will also let you and your baby get some fresh air, something to eat, and have the chance to have some quiet time together.

Bring a Friend Along

While your baby will naturally be great company during the ride, you may want to make it even more fun and relaxing by asking one of your best friends to come along for the ride. Not only will this give you someone else to help you out with your baby, but it will also allow you the chance to have some adult conversation during the road trip.

Pack Activities for Your Older Kids

Your older kids may get restless. This would be the perfect time to pick up books and small games or dvds to pick up for the trip.

Even though you may be nervous about your baby’s first road trip, there’s no need to worry. If you have a friend with you, make plans well in advance, and know your car is in great shape, this road trip will be one you’ll always remember.

How To Make Your Child’s Birthday Memorable

When it comes to your child’s birthday, you want everything on that special day to be absolutely perfect. Whether your child is a toddler, pre-teen, or is approaching adulthood, it’s still important to you that they realize just how much you love them on their special day. If you want to make your child’s next birthday one that will be memorable for years to come, try these fun tips.

The Balloon Surprise

An especially fun activity to do with younger kids is to use a balloon surprise to get their birthday off to a great start. To do so, wait until they have fallen asleep the night before their birthday. Once you’re sure the coast is clear, enter their room quietly and scatter balloons all around the room. Upon waking up the next morning, your child will have a room full of color.

A Special or Unique Breakfast

You could start your child’s day off with cereal or eggs as they may normally start their day, or you can create something a little more unique and special for your child’s birthday. Something like kaiser buns with cream cheese and egg may be a great way to make the breakfast memorable. It’s delicious and will give them the energy they need for the day of festivities. Plus, you could make a tradition out of it so it’s something they look forward to each year.

Let Them Decorate Their Birthday Cake

If you plan on giving your child a birthday cake, then you can make the day more memorable by allowing them to decorate their cake. With so many types of frosting, sprinkles, and other goodies available, your child will have a blast creating the perfect cake for their party.

A Treasure Hunt for Gifts

Instead of simply handing your child their birthday presents, do a treasure hunt for the gifts. By turning the gift-giving process into a game, you can add a level of fun and suspense by leaving clues inside and outside your home, turning it into a combination treasure/scavenger hunt. For added fun, put some physical activity challenges into the hunt, such as having them climb a small tree or something else to locate their gifts.

Give Them a Birthday Letter

Giving your child a birthday letter will be something they are sure to cherish as they get older. When writing this letter to your child, don’t hold back on highlighting those special moments from the past year. Whether you tell them how proud you are of the grades they got in school, how they handled a particularly stressful situation, or how much it means to you to see them growing up to be a fantastic person, it’s a sure bet this letter will become a treasured possession. If your child doesn’t know how to read yet, this is an amazing opportunity to read it to them to be even more personal.

Whether you do one of these activities or all of them, your child’s birthday will be more memorable than you ever thought possible!

Science as a Solution to Problems in Folk Tales

In most folktales, science never plays a role. The characters’ problems take place because they don’t understand the world around them. Understanding the world means thinking like a scientist. Scientists analyze events; they look for cause and effect. And they make changes to prevent repeating mistakes. A scientific attitude can make the
difference between being frightened and feeling confident. A scientific approach to life enables people to learn and adapt, rather than live in fear. Perhaps, science could be used as a solution to some folktale problems.

In the original folktales, Chicken Little felt something land on her head and became frightened that the sky was falling. Goldilocks became frightened when the Three Bears found her sleeping in their house, after she had eaten their porridge and broken their furniture. The Three Little Pigs were afraid that the Big Bad Wolf planned to eat them.

What if Chicken Little did an experiment to find out if the sky was falling? What if Goldilocks knew how to repair the things she broke? What if the Three Little Pigs knew how to build wolf-proof houses? And better yet, what if they knew how to make good use of all that huffing and puffing?

Do you ever wonder how folktales would come out differently if the protagonists knew some scientific principles?

Let’s Think about Science in Folk Tales

Chicken Little thought the sky was falling because an acorn fell on her head. Her friends all went to tell the king this scary story. But on the way to the King’s palace, Foxy Woxy caught them and tricked them – because they didn’t know about foxes or how to avoid their foxy tricks. But what if Chicken Little was a scientist? What if her friend Henny Penny liked to do experiments? What if their other friends, Goosey Loosey and Turkey Lurkey did experiments, too? And what if they discovered how gravity works? Could they use their new knowledge to defeat Foxy Woxy? Would Chicken Little become the next Sir Isaac Newton?

Goldilocks walked into the Three Bears’ home while they were out for a walk. She ate their porridge. She broke their furniture, and then she slept in one of their beds. She’s just a child. Maybe she didn’t know better. But what if she knew how to cool the hot porridge? What if she knew how to use a screwdriver to repair the chair she broke? What if she left the Three Bears’ home better than she found it? And best-of-all, what if she could help Baby Bear with a problem, when the bears came back from their walk?
Knowing how to use the six simple machines can make a real difference in the quality of life.
Goldilocks could become a welcome guest in the Three Bears’ home.

In the original version of The Three Little Pigs, only one pig knows how to build a wolf-proof house. Suppose all three of the little pigs had been to architecture school and all three built safe sturdy wolf-proof homes? Then, when the wolf came by and did his huffing and puffing, he couldn’t blow any of their houses down. Still, none of the three pigs could go out of their houses, because without walls and a roof to protect them, the wolf could eat them. In this situation, safe houses aren’t enough. The pigs still need more science. Now we have three
hungry pigs and one hungry wolf. And none of them are going anywhere to solve their mutual problem. But there’s still all that huffing and puffing to deal with. That huffing and puffing has to be good for something. Can our story characters use the huffing and puffing to make food for them all to eat? Can it enable them
all to become friends?

Folktales present characters with problems they need to solve…

Often the solutions in the original stories are violent. Violence is not something we want to teach our children. Violence is not a good solution to life’s problems. Wolves shouldn’t get to trap foolish animals, just because they made a mistake and thought the sky was falling. Goldilocks shouldn’t be chased away from the Three Bears’ home as if she was a criminal. And that hungry wolf shouldn’t become stew for the three little pigs to eat. Peaceful solutions for these problems do exist. Science can provide us with answers.
Chicken Little and her friends can discover how gravity works.
Goldilocks can learn to use the six simple machines to fix what she breaks.

The Three Little Pigs can figure out that what seems to be a problem is often just a resource out of place. That huffing and puffing can be used to grind wheat and feed them all. I’ve created a series of Science Folktales. All of them have peaceful, productive solutions. And readers can learn some scientific principles as they watch the
characters solve their problems in ways that benefit everybody. A scientific attitude prevents the need for violence, and opens up new peaceful solutions to once scary problems. You can probably think of folktales that you would like to see have happy endings, solutions that are mutually beneficial for all the characters.

Lois Wickstrom earned her BA in biology with Chemistry and English minors. She is the creator of the Imagenie videos on YouTube and the Science Folktales series, which includes Chicken Little Investigates, and Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart. She is also co-author of Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants, the Nessie’s Grotto series. Her forthcoming book from Dreaming Big is Mr. Barsin’s Toy Emporium. She has been married for 54 years, has two children and four grandchildren.

Lois’s Books are:

Chicken Little Investigates
Huff…Puff…Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart
Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow! The Real Magic of the Beans (a retelling of Jack and the
Beanstalk)
Goldilocks and the Six Simple Machines
Little Red, The Detective (a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood)
And soon to be published:
The Fairest of the All (a retelling of Snow White)
Saving the Gingerbread House (A retelling of Hansel and Gretel)
Is That the Wrong Egg? (A retelling of The Ugly Duckling)

science folktales

Lois’s website is HTTP://www.LookUnderRocks.com

Lois’s Books Are Here on Amazon